The present invention relates to a two-wheeled motorcycle, or motorized bicycle, and, more particularly, to apparatus for steering the bicycle. Even more specifically, the invention relates to an apparatus for remotely controlling such a vehicle.
The present invention has particular application with respect to toy motorcycles which are to be directed through turns by remote control, such as by a radio system.
In the past, a wide variety of toy motorcycles have been devised which can be operated in such a manner as to control a movement of the toy. In many cases, the toys were controlled by a tether such as is shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,699,011; 3,708,913; 3,826,038; and 3,984,105. Since such toys must be attached to a tether to provide suitable control, the ability of the user to observe the toy while it moves is quite limited. While such toys may produce some exercise for the user, they are relatively unsatisfactory from the standpoint of requiring imagination since their movements are limited either by a central pivot for the tether or by the actions of the user who pulls the tether.
Other prior art toys of this general character have allowed remote control via radio or similar means. Such toys are shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,708,913; 3,751,851; and 3,826,038. In such cases, however, the inventors foresaw the likelihood that their toys would tend to tip over during use. As a result, they usually provided a relatively low center of gravity, as well as auxiliary wheels, imitation foot rests, unusually shaped main wheels, etc., in an attempt to prevent the toy from tipping over. For each such device that the prior art employs, however, the resulting toys appear less and less like the actual machines which were meant to be imitated by the designers.
As a result, children using the toys either do not care for their appearance or else grow tired of them as a result of normal short attention spans, aggravated by the requirement for very little imagination.
Several of the prior art toys also require very complex systems for steering the motorcycles, such as those depicted in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,546,814 and 3,751,851.
As a result, the prior art toys have been substantially unsuccessful since the people playing with them quickly became bored, the toys themselves were too expensive, or the mechanisms were so complex that they quickly became damaged and/or operated erratically.
In spite of all of the failures of the prior art toys, there still exists a need for a toy which is relatively inexpensive, realistic in appearance and operation, and simple and rugged enough in its construction so that it can be properly operated for a long time. Up until this time, such a toy has not been available.